Signs of changes to the cut rules for the upcoming season of the Championship Tour (CT), the elite of world surfing, have emerged in recent days. The World Surf League (WSL) has announced the date for the first stage of the Challenger Series, the access division to the CT. Scheduled for a month later than usual, there is speculation that the cut that takes place in the middle of the elite season could be transferred to the eighth stage.
Although we know some of the stages, the Championship Tour calendar has not yet been officially released. However, the WSL announced that the start The Challenger Series is scheduled to take place in Newcastle, Australia, in June 2025. In previous years, the first event in the elite access division of world surfing took place in May.
Because of this, the surfing community has been speculating about a change in the mid-season cut of the CT. Journalist Diogo Mourão also found out information about the change for next year. Since 2022, the WSL has been cutting the regular phase in the fifth stage. With the new start date of the Challenger Series in 2025, the first fine-tooth comb could occur in the eighth.
The cut in the WSL
The Championship Tour currently has two cuts throughout the season. The competition begins with 35 athletes in the men’s category and 18 in the women’s category. After the fifth stage, only the top 22 in the men’s ranking and the top 10 in the women’s ranking move on to the next five events. Then, another cut is made after the 10th stage for the Final with the top five.
Furthermore, it is also worth remembering that surfers who make the first cut earn a direct spot in the Challenger Series. This way, they have another chance to return to the surfing elite in the following season.
CT stages in 2025
After four years at Trestels, the WSL Finals is set to change location and take place in Fiji. Another change for the 2025 Championship Tour season is the stage at the wave pool in Abu Dhabi. Finally, another new feature is the return of the stage on the Gold Coast, which caused Sunset Beach to be removed from the calendar.
